Program Overview

Interaction Design Program

Overview

The Interaction Design program is offered by the Art department and prepares students for careers or graduate study in the rapidly evolving field of design. Students in the major learn visual communication using industry-standard technology across interactive, time-based, digital, and traditional media.

Program Details

• The program offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Design.
• Students have the option of pursuing a concentration in Communication Design, Interaction Design, or Animation and Illustration.
• Transfer students who want to major in design must present a transcript, or a transcript and portfolio, to the Design faculty for evaluation.
• Except as specifically exempted by portfolio review, all transfer students must take ARTS 246, 345, and 395, along with four upper-division electives (ARTS 247 or higher) at Queens College.
• Up to 15 design studio credits may be transferred into the major.
• In addition, students may receive as many additional blanket studio credits as permitted by the BFA degree, which requires that at least 60 credits be in liberal arts.

Admission Requirements

• Students who wish to major in Design must meet with an advisor prior to declaring the major.
• Admission requirements include a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 or approval by portfolio review.
• Program standards for satisfactory progress require students to maintain a GPA of 2.75 or better within the major and receive no grade lower than C in any requirements for the major.
• Students must pass a portfolio review while enrolled in ARTS 241 Design I to advance in the program.
• Students accepted into the major are asked to meet with an advisor once each semester to ensure adherence to major requirements.
• A laptop computer with the Adobe Creative Cloud software is required for students majoring in Design.
• Apple computers are highly suggested.

Requirements

Minor Requirements - Overall

• Type: Completion requirement
• Earn at least 21 credits

Minor Requirements - Required Course

• Type: Completion requirement
• Complete at least 7 of the following courses:
  • ARTS 212 - Introduction to Adobe Dreamweaver
  • ARTS 287 - Variable Topics: Movie making
  • ARTS 393 - Independent Internship
  • DESN 157 - Digital Moviemaking I
  • DESN 188 - Illustration I
  • DESN 190 - Design Foundations
  • DESN 191 - Basic Software for Design
  • DESN 192 - Storyboarding & Storytelling
  • DESN 193 - Motion Graphics I
  • DESN 195 - Photoshop Basics
  • DESN 205 - Photoshop Color
  • DESN 207 - Introduction to Video Editing I
  • DESN 211 - Introduction to Adobe Illustrator
  • DESN 213 - 3D Modeling
  • DESN 214 - Web Design I
  • DESN 215 - Traditional Animation
  • DESN 217 - Digital Moviemaking II
  • DESN 221 - VT: Video Graphics and Compositing
  • DESN 222 - Interaction Design
  • DESN 249 - Creative Coding
  • DESN 263 - App Design
  • DESN 265 - Physical Computing
  • DESN 270 - Data Visualization
  • DESN 277 - VT: Pixel-based Imagery
  • DESN 278 - VT: Vector-Based Imagery
  • DESN 279 - Animation and 3-D Modeling
  • DESN 290 - Motion Graphics II
  • DESN 314 - Web Design II
  • DESN 370 - VT: Special Topics in Design
• Complete all of the following courses:
  • DESN 191 - Basic Software for Design
  • Or the equivalent (InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop) is required as the first course of the minor.

Additional Comments

• Basic drawing skills (ARTS 151 or equivalent) and a good working knowledge of page layout, image-editing, and drawing software (DESN 191 or equivalent) are recommended before beginning the minor.